Washing machine



WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 23; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

2 v INVENTOR Jorm ZIMARlK ATTORNEY WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR- JoHN 'ZmAmK ATTORNEY pressure therein.

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arsal-85. 10, 1942 I uN r-E D sTA'rEs;

PATENT OFFICE I 2,272,284 wasnmc. Machine John Zimarik, Akron, Ohio 1 Application November 2:, 1928, Serial nosgirsa'z s Claims. (CI. 8.41:) in

. either rotating orstationary, the filling and emptying beingaccomplished from oneside of. lo-

the' drum thereby to-leave the other side of the drum unobstructed. for loading and removing the laundry.

Another object of the invention is to provide vide in a washingmachine of the character disclosed a safety escape for accumulated steam These and other objects will be manifest from the following brief description and the accomso .The trea ngc a r pr f a ly has p Mi drawingsvided on the inner periphery thereof hollow '0 the p y g drawings? I 'tumbfer ribs 32, 32 perforated at 33, 33to per- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken mit drainage and circulation of fluid through. away and'in section, of .a washing machine emthe ribs, the rear end of the latter openinginto bodying the invention. 35 the emptying compartment 25 at 25, 25. The

Figure 2 is a cross-section.- on line 2-2 of Referring to thedrawing s, the numeral l8 'designatesasuitable base having a back-plate "motor 23 supported on bearing bracket l2. Mo-

tor 28 may be of .the rever'sing type and suitable mechanism (not shown) may be provided "in association therewith to reverse the. drum l4 in alternate directions at periodic intervals.

Drum i4 preferably is provided with a washing or treating chamber 24 at the front side of the washer and a liquidemptying compart- I ment 25 at the rear thereof, the chamber 24 be-.

ing separated from compartment 25 by a parti tion 28, which may be flanged at 21 to rotatably engage the outer periphery of an annular sleeve 28 interiorly concentric with sleeve 13. The inner end of sleeve 28 maybe closed by in a washing machine of the tumbler-drum type 15 means of a plate 29 secured thereto and an anmeans for rapidly and ei'fectively emptying the nular retaining ring 30 may be secured on plate drum while the same is rotating, said means in- 28 adapted to slidably engage partition 28 to; eluding valve mechanism'which is unaiIected retain the drum l4 against lateral movement by rotation of the drum. I on bearing-bracket l2. The inside diameterlof Another obiectof the "invention. is to provide '20 sleeve 28 may be relatively large and yet provide a machine of the character,disclosed a sumciently lar a n space i mp y g having means for recovering fluid which may compartment, thus making it possible to prootherwise leak past the bearing and journal ofv e a S i l p n 3| n Plate 29 a t D the rotatable drum. of the drum and well above the normal water Still another object of the invention is to pro- 25, or load line of the washer. Opening 3! provides emcient-mea'ns for steam accumulated in'cham-v g ber 24 to ,vent to the'exterior of the drum, thereby minimizing the possibility of blowing off the cover II or otherwise causing injury or damage.

ribs 321 may .have funnel-shaped interiors di- H secured thereto for supporting a bearingvio rotated in one-direction, thereby to rapidlybracket 2. Bracket i2 may be provided with an annular; bearing sleeve l3 upon which may ranged to engage and rotatably supp rt the drum l4 the sides thereof, thereby leaving the front side of the drum-free and unobstructed'for loading'and-unloadinglaundry to and from the washer through a suitable re movable cover-plate l'l. I

marginal edge thereof may be providedmith ann ular V-grooves i8, 18' for engagement of V; belts", i8 drlven, -through a pu1ley'2l 9n a shaft- 2l,.by a suitable reductiongearlng 22 and 55 treating-chamber laterally back and forth as the v For rotatably driving the drum i4 the'rearat 36, 36' to permit drainage and circulation of.

fluid to the emptying compartment and to impel said fluidinto the compartment as the drumis rotated-to thereby aid in rapidly draining the drum. The ribs 32 andvanes'34 preferably are arranged alternately to impel the contents of the chamber toward the emptying compartment as the drum is rotated in reversed directions. Vanes 34 serve also to shift. thecontents of the yielding action of spring 41.

drum I4 is alternately rotated in reversed directions. The features and arrangement of the ribs 32 and vanes 34 are described in detail in the co-pending application of John Zimarik for Letters Patent for improvements in Washing machines, Serial No. 218,803, of which this application is a continuation in part.

Wash water, rinse water, bluing, soap solution, or other treating materials may be supplied to the washer, through suitable piping II threaded into sleeve 28 to communicate with emptying chamber 25, the latter in turn communicating with treating chamber 24 through the perforated ribs 32 and perforated vanes 34. Mounted on bearing-bracket l2 adjacent the bottom of compartment 25 may be a. suitable drain valve. subsequently to bedescrlbed, operable to empty the chamber 24 while the drum is rotating or stationary. V

As a provision against leakage of treating fluid at the inner edge of sleeve t3 and past the bearing connection between drum l4 and sleeve It, the drum 14 may be enlarged at a to provide an annular pocket '3! intermediate said inner edge of sleeve l3 and the rear marginal edge of drum l4. Pocket 39 may communicate with chamber 25 through a relatively small opening it in bearing sleeve list the top of drum l4 and preferably there is provided a series of radial vanes 40, Ml, arranged to rotate with the drum and thereby lift fluid which has leaked into pocket 39 up to the top of compartment 25, where the fluid is dropped by gravity through opening li and into said compartment to be either retained therein or drained through a valve 4|.

Valve M (see Figure 1) preferably is of the flapper type, carried-by a downwardly extending arm 42 secured on a shaft 43 rotatably mounted in lugs 44 on bearing'bracket l2. The valve 4| is beveled at 45 to seat in a beveled end portion of a sleeve 48, the latter opening into chamber 25. A. spring 41 normally urges the valve into closed position. An upwardly extending arm 48 secured on shaft 43 may have arod 49, attached to the free end thereof, extending to the front of the machine for controlling the opening and closing of the valve at will against In the use of the'machine for washing or'tre'ating clothes,. the clothes are placed in chamber 24 through the opening at the front of the drum, after removing eover' l'l thereof. With valveili closed and cover I! back in place on the drum, water together with soap, bluing, etc. may be supplied through piping 31, compartment 25 and through perforated ribs 32 and vanes 34 to treating chamber 24. As the drum is alternately rotated in reversed directions the vanes 34 will shift the wash load back and forth in chamber 24 thoroughly to agitate the clothes; and the treating fluid, by reason of the construction of said vanes and the ribs I, will be-constantly circulated through the drum. Any fluid leaking. outwardly past the inner edge of bearing sleeve II will be picked up by vanes 40 and pumped back in to the emptying compartment. Should hot water he used for washing, any accumulation of steam arising therefrom to the.

top of the drum will vent through the 8| in plate 29. The wash water may be thoroughly emptied or expelled from the drum either while the latter is rotating or stationary, by opening the valve 4i. Rinse write", or other treating fluid, may be supplied to the drum while the is liquid which may leak outw s the scope of the appended claims.

Whatisclaimed is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis; said drum having a treatin chamber, a bearing member for rotatably supporting said drum, said member having a liquid supplylnll and emptying compartment in communication with said chamber, means on said drum operable by rotation thereo for retrieving y between the bearing surfaces of said drmn and said bearins member and pumping said liquid back into said compartment, and a valve on said member in communication with said compartment operable zoatwillto drain saiddru'm while said drum is rotating or stationary.

2. A machine of the. character described comprising a single-shelldrum rotatable about'a substantially horizontal axis, said drum havin 3. treating chamber for a determinate quantity of liquid, a stationary bearing member for rotatably supporting said drum at one side thereof, said member having a liquid supplying and emptying compartment therein communiac eating directly with saigiE chamber while the drum is rotating or stationary, means in said chamber operable by rotation of said drum for ejecting the liquid from said chamber into said compartment, and valve means on said member op- 3; emble at will to drain the liquid from said chamber by gravity through said communicating compartment while saiddrum is rotating or stationary.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, saidsdrum having a treating chamber. a bearing member for rotatably supporting said drum, said member having a supplying and emptying compartment therein communicatins with said chamber, means in said chamber operable by rotation of saiddrum for electing the liquid from said chamber into said compart-' ment, means on said drum operable by rotation thereof for retrieving liquid which may leak' out so wardly between the bearing surfaces of said drum stationary.

4. A machine of the character described comprising a drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said drum having a treating chamber, a hollow bearingv member adapted to on have said drum journalled' thereon, said'member cooperating with said drum to provide an annular liquid supplying and emptying compartment at one side of the drum in communication with said chamber, means onsaid drum operable by ro- -tation thereof for retrievihg liquid'which may leak outwardly between the bearing surfaces of said drum and said bearing member and pumping said liquid back into said compartment, and a valve operable at will to drain liquid from said drum by gravity while the drum is rotating or as treatlngchamber adapted solely to contain a de- 'chamber directly with said compartment in all rotated positions of the drum, and a valve on said stationary member in communication with said compartmentand operable at will to drain liquid from. said chamber through said compartment while said drum is rotating or stationary.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a single-shell drum having -a treating.

chamber for containing treating liquid, said drum being rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, a stationary member for rotatably supporting said drum at one side thereof, the other side of the drum extending free and unobstructed by supporting structure, said member having a passage communicating with said chamber in all rotated positions of the drum, and valve means in said stationary member operable at will for draining said chamber through said communicating passage while the drum is rotating about its axis or stationary.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a single-shell drum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said drum having a treating chamber adapted solely to contain a determinate quantity of liquid, a stationary bearing member for rotatably supporting said drum at one side axially thereof, said member having therein a liquid supplying and emptying compartment in fluid sealing. relation with said rotatable drum, said drum being apertured to communicate saidchamber directly with said compartment in all rotated positions of the drum, and a valve on said stationary member operable at will to drain liquid from said chamber through said compartment communicating therewith, said valve being located with respect to the bottom of the drum whereby it is operable to drain the liquid from said chamber by gravity while the drum is rotating or stationary.

8. A machine of the character described comprising adrum rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, said drum having a treating chamber for containing a liquid, a hollow bearing member for rotatably mounting 'said drum thereon, the hollow. portion of said member providing an annular liquid supplying and emptying compartment at one side of the drum in communication with said chamber in all rotated positions of the drum, said bearing member having means providing an orifice above the liquid level of said chamber and communicating the interior of said chamber with the exterior for venting volatile gases from the chamber, and a valve on said member operable at will to drain liquid from said drum through said compartment by gravity while the drum is rotating or' stationary.

" JOHN ZIMARIK. 

